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SDK 49

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Expo Linking

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An API that provides methods to create and open deep links universally.

expo-linking provides utilities for your app to interact with other installed apps using deep links. It also provides helper methods for constructing and parsing deep links into your app. This module is an extension of the React Native Linking module.

For a more comprehensive explanation of how to use expo-linking, refer to the Linking guide.

Platform Compatibility

Android Device	Android Emulator	iOS Device	iOS Simulator	Web

Installation

Terminal

- npx expo install expo-linking

If you are installing this in an existing React Native app (bare workflow), start by installing expo in your project. Then, follow the additional instructions as mentioned by library's README under "Installation in bare React Native projects" section.

API

import * as Linking from 'expo-linking';

Hooks

`useURL()`

Returns the initial URL followed by any subsequent changes to the URL.

Returns:

string | null

Returns the initial URL or null.

Methods

`Linking.canOpenURL(url)`

Name	Type	Description
url	`string`	The URL that you want to test can be opened.

Determine whether or not an installed app can handle a given URL. On web this always returns true because there is no API for detecting what URLs can be opened.

Returns:

Promise<boolean>

A Promise object that is fulfilled with true if the URL can be handled, otherwise it false if not.

The Promise will reject on Android if it was impossible to check if the URL can be opened, and on iOS if you didn't add the specific scheme in the LSApplicationQueriesSchemes key inside Info.plist.

`Linking.collectManifestSchemes()`

Collect a list of platform schemes from the manifest.

This method is based on the Scheme modules from @expo/config-plugins which are used for collecting the schemes before prebuilding a native app.

iOS: scheme -> ios.scheme -> ios.bundleIdentifier
Android: scheme -> android.scheme -> android.package

Returns:

string[]

`Linking.createURL(path, namedParameters)`

Name	Type	Description
path	`string`	Addition path components to append to the base URL.
namedParameters (optional)	`CreateURLOptions`	Additional options object. Default: `{}`

Helper method for constructing a deep link into your app, given an optional path and set of query parameters. Creates a URI scheme with two slashes by default.

The scheme in bare and standalone must be defined in the Expo config (app.config.js or app.json) under expo.scheme.

Examples

Bare: <scheme>://path - uses provided scheme or scheme from Expo config scheme.
Standalone, Custom: yourscheme://path
Web (dev): https://localhost:19006/path
Web (prod): https://myapp.com/path
Expo Client (dev): exp://128.0.0.1:8081/--/path
Expo Client (prod): exp://exp.host/@yourname/your-app/--/path

Returns:

string

A URL string which points to your app with the given deep link information.

`Linking.getInitialURL()`

Get the URL that was used to launch the app if it was launched by a link.

Returns:

Promise<string | null>

The URL string that launched your app, or null.

`Linking.hasConstantsManifest()`

Ensure the user has linked the expo-constants manifest in bare workflow.

Returns:

boolean

`Linking.hasCustomScheme()`

Returns:

boolean

Deprecated An alias for createURL(). This method is deprecated and will be removed in a future SDK version.

`Linking.makeUrl(path, queryParams, scheme)`

Name	Type	Description
path (optional)	`string`	addition path components to append to the base URL. Default: `''`
queryParams (optional)	`ParsedQs`	An object with a set of query parameters. These will be merged with any Expo-specific parameters that are needed (e.g. release channel) and then appended to the URL as a query string.
scheme (optional)	`string`	Optional URI protocol to use in the URL `<scheme>:///`, when `undefined` the scheme will be chosen from the Expo config (`app.config.js` or `app.json`).

Create a URL that works for the environment the app is currently running in. The scheme in bare and standalone must be defined in the app.json under expo.scheme.

Examples

Bare: empty string
Standalone, Custom: yourscheme:///path
Web (dev): https://localhost:19006/path
Web (prod): https://myapp.com/path
Expo Client (dev): exp://128.0.0.1:8081/--/path
Expo Client (prod): exp://exp.host/@yourname/your-app/--/path

Returns:

string

A URL string which points to your app with the given deep link information.

`Linking.openSettings()`

Open the operating system settings app and displays the app’s custom settings, if it has any.

Returns:

Promise<void>

`Linking.openURL(url)`

Name	Type	Description
url	`string`	A URL for the operating system to open, eg: `tel:5555555`, `exp://`.

Attempt to open the given URL with an installed app. See the Linking guide for more information.

Returns:

Promise<true>

A Promise that is fulfilled with true if the link is opened operating system automatically or the user confirms the prompt to open the link. The Promise rejects if there are no applications registered for the URL or the user cancels the dialog.

`Linking.parse(url)`

Name	Type	Description
url	`string`	A URL that points to the currently running experience (e.g. an output of `Linking.createURL()`).

Helper method for parsing out deep link information from a URL.

Returns:

ParsedURL

A ParsedURL object.

`Linking.parseInitialURLAsync()`

Helper method which wraps React Native's Linking.getInitialURL() in Linking.parse(). Parses the deep link information out of the URL used to open the experience initially. If no link opened the app, all the fields will be null.

On the web it parses the current window URL.

Returns:

Promise<ParsedURL>

A promise that resolves with ParsedURL object.

`Linking.resolveScheme(options)`

Name	Type
options	`{ isSilent: boolean, scheme: string }`

Returns:

string

Only for:

Android

`Linking.sendIntent(action, extras)`

Name	Type
action	`string`
extras (optional)	`SendIntentExtras[]`

Launch an Android intent with extras.

Use IntentLauncher instead, sendIntent is only included in Linking for API compatibility with React Native's Linking API.

Returns:

Promise<void>

Event Subscriptions

`Linking.addEventListener(type, handler)`

Name	Type	Description
type	`'url'`	The only valid type is `'url'`.
handler	`URLListener`	An `URLListener` function that takes an `event` object of the type `EventType`.

Add a handler to Linking changes by listening to the url event type and providing the handler. It is recommended to use the useURL() hook instead.

Returns:

EmitterSubscription

An EmitterSubscription that has the remove method from EventSubscription

See: React Native Docs Linking page.

Types

`CreateURLOptions`

Name	Type	Description
isTripleSlashed (optional)	`boolean`	Should the URI be triple slashed `scheme:///path` or double slashed `scheme://path`.
queryParams (optional)	`QueryParams`	An object of parameters that will be converted into a query string.
scheme (optional)	`string`	URI protocol `<scheme>://` that must be built into your native app.

`EventType`

Name	Type	Description
nativeEvent (optional)	`MessageEvent`	-
url	`string`	-

`NativeURLListener()`

Name	Type
nativeEvent	`MessageEvent`

`ParsedURL`

Name	Type	Description
hostname	`string \| null`	-
path	`string \| null`	The path into the app specified by the URL.
queryParams	`QueryParams \| null`	The set of query parameters specified by the query string of the url used to open the app.
scheme	`string \| null`	-

`QueryParams`

Type: ParsedQs

`SendIntentExtras`

Name	Type	Description
key	`string`	-
value	`string \| number \| boolean`	-

`URLListener()`

Name	Type
event	`EventType`